A Party for a Lonely Heart
by PhinalPhantasy
Summary: COMPLETED! After a month of sorrow at Sasuke's betrayal and disappearance, Sakura decides to take some initiatve and throw a party for her friends. But can she really open her heart again? Major SakuraLee NarutoHinata Minor NejiTenTen ShikaTemari InoChoji
1. Chapter 1

A Party for a Lonely Heart

(A/N: Due to popular requests, I have decided to do a sequel to my first Naruto fic, "The Love Doctor of Konoha." This may be the first of several. Don't worry though. You won't need to read the first story to understand this one. I would still love you to read the first one though if you want.)

(Disclaimer: I neither own Naruto or its characters)

Chapter 1

It has been one month since that fateful day when Sasuke betrayed and left the village of Konoha. One month since Haruno Sakura desperately tried to convince the shinobi to stay. She even went so far as to bare her heart to him. She confessed everything to him. How she had felt about him all those long years since they were little kids. Even that didn't stop him from leaving. Instead he attacked her and left her unconscious and just left, as if he never cared for her. Since then, Sakura felt dead to the world. She just did enough work to breeze by and afterwards went home and cried every night. She ignored her friends too. She only saw them while she was working at the hospital. She missed Sasuke constantly, even feeling partially responsible for his leaving. Perhaps instead of convincing him to stay, her confession actually drove him away further, scared him off. Thoughts like that plagued her mind for a month. It was one month of hell. Eventually she tired of the pain and decided to go see her sensei, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. The Fifth Hokage's response to her student's sorrow was very blunt…she literally slapped some sense into Sakura, reminding her that despite Sasuke's betrayal and Sakura's subsequent self-imposed isolation, her other friends were still around and were seriously worried about her. Then Tsunade suggested that she try opening up to some of the others. _"Do yourself a favor and when you get off today, go out with them. Have fun for goodness sake! Let the other people who care have a chance," _She remembered the Hokage's words clearly as she left her office, _"Just hang out with a lot of your friends, and think about some of the guys in your group, I'm sure you'll think one of them is worthy of the great Haruno Sakura." _For the first time in a month, Sakura smiled. She felt a new burst of confidence as she descended the stairs. As she was going down, she noticed Nara Shikamaru coming up.

"Hey Sakura, is the Hokage in?" he asked.

"She sure is. You better hurry up and get there before she starts on more work."

"Thanks. You're looking a bit better today than usual. What's happened?"

"I got some sense slapped into me. I know I've been neglecting you and the others lately and I promise to make it up to everyone. What did you need from Tsunade-sensei anyways?"

"Just to turn in a mission report…and some advice on a squad member I had to take with me."

"Really, what's wrong?"

"Only that she thought every day was a party or something."

"Party? That's a great idea! Thanks Shikamaru!" Sakura said brightly as she ran off.

"Man girls are so weird and troublesome…what a drag," Shikamaru said as he continued to go meet with the Hokage.

(A/N: Sorry that this introductory chapter was so short. I promise to make up for it next time and promise to throw a few of the couples I promised earlier into it as soon as possible. Please feel free to leave a reveiw :) )


	2. Chapter 2

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 2

(Disclaimer: I neither own Naruto or it's characters. I just enjoy writing about them)

(A/N: Well I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on this one, so here's the next chapter as promised. Enjoy!)

Sakura walked towards her home, thinking about what kind of party she would throw. _"Let's see, who to invite…definitely Shikamaru since he gave me the idea. I guess if I invite him, I'll have to invite Choji and Ino too…I also wonder if Naruto would come…" _As she was only half paying attention, she didn't notice where she was going and bumped right into Hyuga Hinata and both of the young women fell down flat on their butts.

"OW!" Sakura shouted, "That hurt why don't you…" then Sakura noticed who she ran into, "…oh…I am so sorry Hinata-chan. Are you ok?" she asked.

Hinata wiped the small amount of tears that were forming from the pain, "S..Sakura-chan…yes...just give me a minute to get up please." Sakura held out her hand and helped the other kunoichi to her feet.

"I really am sorry Hinata-chan. I should've watched where I was going."

"It's ok, really. I was spacing out a bit too," Hinata responded.

"_Hmm…How could I forget Hinata and her group. They're cool too, even though I'm not that close to them," _Sakura thought to herself, "Say Hinata-chan…I was wondering…I'm going to try to throw a party and if so, would you like to come to it?" she asked a bit shyly.

"A…party. W…What's the occasion. Oh no don't tell me I've forgotten your birthday?" Hinata looked like she was getting sadder.

"Oh nononono," Sakura said with a laugh, "It's not my birthday. It's just that I've been out of it for a while and neglecting all of my friends so I thought I'd make it up to them. I'd really like it if you could come too."

"You think of me as a friend?" Hinata asked.

"Of course I do. We young kunoichi of Konoha have got to stick together since the boys outnumber us," Sakura winked, "Do you know how to get to my place."

"No. Could you give me directions please?" Hinata asked.

"Oh darn. I don't have anything to write with. I'll have to make invitations and send them out I guess," Sakura said, concerned, "But don't worry Hinata-chan. It will be great, you'll see. Plenty of soda and snacks with some great music and dancing to go with it!"

"D..Dancing?" Hinata blushed.

"Yeah, dancing. We've got a lot of potential guys to have ask us to dance. Come on, we're ninja, we've already got smooth moves anyways. This is just a chance for us to use them outside of battle. Invite your friends Shino-kun and Kiba-kun for me would you?"

"S…sure," Hinata replied, _"But there's only one person I think I want to dance with…" _she thought blushing, _"But how am I going to be able to ask Naruto-kun…"_

"Hinata-chan, are you ok?" Sakura asked.

"Y…yes. Thank you for inviting me, Sakura-chan. I'll pass along the message to Shino-kun and Kiba-kun."

"Great! Hey while you're at it, tell them to get all dressed up like gentlemen for once. What they wear normally is fine I guess, but not for this. We should dress up too. Show off how gorgeous we really are!" Sakura replied with confidence.

"Me…gorgeous?" Hinata asked.

"Sure you are, trust me. Well I've gotta go and find some of the others to invite!" Sakura said, "Thanks again, Hinata-chan!"

"No, thank you, Sakura-chan, for being so nice!" Hinata said, _"I don't know what to do about this. I think I need some advice…from someone really strong. I know! Hokage-sama. She's Sakura-chan's sensei. If she could give Sakura what she needed to come back to all of us, maybe she can help me with my concerns…" _Hinata thought, leaving towards the Hokage's office.

XXX

Sakura passed the park when she heard a small group training themselves. Curious, she walked closer and heard Rock Lee, Hyuga Neji, and TenTen all working hard under the tutelage of Maito Gai.

"Ok, that's enough for now, you guys deserve a break," Gai said. As his team sat down and grabbed some bottled water, Sakura approached them.

"Umm…you don't mind if I have a word with them, do you Gai-sensei?" she asked.

"Not at all. The power of friendship is part of what makes you young people so strong!" Gai replied, giving his trademark Nice Guy Pose. Sakura sweat-dropped then turned towards Lee and his friends.

"Hi guys…I've decided to have a party at my place within the next few days. I'd be happy if you could attend," Sakura smiled. With that Lee stood up tall.

"I would be most happy to attend any gathering you are willing to host!" Lee shouted. Sakura was taken aback by his sudden response. Then TenTen smacked him on the back of his head.

"Chill out Lee!" TenTen said, "For crying out loud it's a party, not a mission! Don't scare poor Sakura-chan like that!" Then she turned to Sakura and with a friendly smile said, "I'll be happy to go too. Are we dressing up?"

"Of course we are," Sakura smiled back, "We've got to look our best. And that goes for you guys as well," she said pointing to Lee and Neji.

"Who said I was going," Neji said, but then gave his usual smirk, "but since you were nice enough to invite me, I guess I can make it."

"Great! I'll send out invitations later! Hope to see you soon!" Sakura said happily as she ran off.

"Wow Gai-sensei, I've never been invited to a girl's home before or to a party. This is the happiest day of my life!" Lee said and started to jump up and down and began a victory dance.

"_And you wonder why?" _Neji thought to himself, _"He's going to make a fool of himself if he keeps acting like that…"_

"_What an idiot!"_ TenTen thought to herself, _"It's not like she asked him out on a date or anything. It's a get together for __all__ of us!"_ Then she saw the look in Lee's face_ "Hmmm…maybe Lee __does__ have strong feelings for her…"_ Lee's little celebration was ended when Gai clobbered him across the face.

"Idiot!" Gai said, "Don't celebrate until after the mission is over!" Lee got himself up and sat in his usual position ready to listen to his sensei's awesomeness.

"Yes sir, Gai-sensei," Lee replied.

"Gather 'round everyone," Gai ordered. He continued when his other two students sat down, "I know TenTen said this wasn't a mission, but in fact if this is your first experience with this kind of thing, a mission would be a good analogy. You are going into unknown territory and although there is a 90 percent chance that there won't be any _physical_ injury to anyone (assuming no fights break out), the potential for _emotional_ injury is very high! You are all starting the most powerful stages of your life and though the power of youth is indeed impressive, you have vulnerabilities as well. You are forming new kinds of relationships, stronger than anything you've ever felt before. They have the potential to be either among the greatest experiences you'll ever have or the most devastating. So keep your hearts on guard, but at the same time, don't forget to have fun! That is the best advice I could give." Gai said once again giving the Nice Guy Pose, "Well, you're still on break so go on and enjoy your lunch. I've got stuff to take care of." After Gai left, TenTen and Neji breathed a sigh of relief.

"Man that was ridiculous," Neji said, "I'm going to tell Sakura-chan that the next time she wants to invite us to do something, make sure that Gai-sensei is out of earshot before asking. I'll see you guys after lunch. Later."

After Neji left, TenTen took Lee aside and looked a little sad, "Listen, Lee, I know how much you value Gai-sensei's advice, but I think I know what's going on through your head right now. This is the first time in a month that Sakura-chan's been sociable with _anyone_. It's no coincidence that it's been the same amount of time since Sasuke betrayed and left the village. Everyone knew how she felt about him. She was hurt when he left. A lot. I don't want to see her hurt again. Or you for that matter. I don't think you should get your hopes up too high just yet. I'm afraid you're setting yourself up to take a fall…"

"I knew how she felt too, TenTen," Lee said looking down, "but I never let that keep me down. I care deeply for Sakura-chan, I promise you it's not just a silly crush. It may have started out that way, even though she originally thought of me as weird, that first impression didn't stop her from being sweet and kind to me later, especially just before my operation. I find her inner beauty is just as striking as her outer beauty. I don't know how she feels about me, but I can't help but love her. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her deliberately, but I hope that this party will show me if we have any possibilities as a couple." TenTen was surprised at her freind's directness.

"If you feel that strongly about her, Lee, then I suggest you ask someone else for a little more advice on how to deal with girls. Gai-sensei knows his stuff when it comes to being a ninja, but I haven't seen him with a girlfriend before. Find someone with more experience in such matters," TenTen suggested.

"Okay, if that is what you suggest, then I know just the woman to talk to. She has been a big help and inspiration to me and the rest of the village as well. If anyone knows women, it's our great Hokage-sama! She is a woman after all, and Sakura-chan's sensei! I'll see you later, TenTen!" Lee waved to her as he ran off to ask the Hokage's advice.

"_Hmm, Hokage-sama wouldn't have been my __first__ choice to give you love advice, but then again, she wouldn't be Hokage-sama without __some__ level of wisdom," _TenTen thought,_ " I hope she can help you, Lee, you've definitely got it bad, my friend…"_

(A/N: Well that's it for that chapter. I wasn't originally planning on that Gai-sensei moment, but after watching a good episode dealing with Lee and Gai's relationship, I felt inspired to do that. Next chapter, Sakura's got a few more people to invite and she decides to give Naruto the responsibility of delivering the invitations. I hope you look forward to it and please give me reviews, I love them!)


	3. Chapter 3

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 3

(A/N: Well thanks again for the positive reviews. I hope this next one does just as good. Enjoy)

(Disclaimer: I neither own Naruto or its characters)

Sakura was smiling as she was coming on her block, _"Let's see, I've invited Hinata-chan, and she's telling Kiba-kun and Shikamaru-kun, I've also invited Lee-kun, Neji-kun, and TenTen. That leaves the 'InoShikaCho' and Naruto-kun...he'll be a big help actually!" _She decided to go to his place first. She knocked on his door and she heard a familiar voice behind the door.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming already. Hold your horses." When Naruto opened the door, he was surprised to see Sakura's happy face waiting for him.

"S..sakura-chan? It's been a while, good to see you! I was really worried about you."

"Good to see you too, Naruto-kun. Can I come in for a second?"

"Umm…sure," Naruto replied. They sat down at a table and Sakura began.

"Naruto-kun…I'm sorry for worrying you. You're my teammate, and also, even if I don't normally say so, one of my best friends. I came by because I talked to Tsunade-sensei and I feel much better now."

"Glad to hear it," Naruto replied with his usual grin, "Good thing you caught me, I was on my way to do some solo training."

"Well before you do that, I'd like to ask a favor, if that's ok?"

"Sure thing. What can I do for you?"

"Well I'm sure you've noticed how, well, unsociable I've been recently. I was grieving over Sasuke-kun's…disappearance., but I'm ready to rejoin my friends again and I wanted to throw them a party to show it."

"Oh…that's cool, I guess…" Naruto said, unsure of himself.

"Oh I'm inviting you too of course! I already said you're one of my best friends."

"It's not that, it's…I've never been to a party before. What do I do?"

"Well for starters, get yourself some slightly dressy clothes and show up prepared to dance. Several eligible ladies will be there too," Sakura winked at him.

"I don't know…I've never danced either, but what was that favor you wanted me to do?"

"Oh yeah. I need to make invitations for everyone so they can find my place. I'd like you to write them out and deliver them for me while I go shopping for the stuff I'll need."

"Oh is that all? Consider it done, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun. You better make the invitations look good, and you better get the directions right!"

"Hey, show a little faith in me, will you? I promise to get it done right. Get your shopping done quickly or they'll show up without a party to go to!"

"Alright. See you there…and you better dress nice!"

"_Sheesh I like what I normally wear. What does a girl consider 'nice?' I better go ask someone, and about dancing while I'm at it. Well onto the invitations!" _Naruto thought to himself, getting some paper and a lot of pens…

About half an hour later, Sakura was walking throughout the marketplace of Konoha, trying to finish her party shopping. She found plenty of balloons and streamers. Now she was looking for some food for the party. _"Knowing Naruto-kun, he'll want some ramen…does he even eat anything else..? I think some cake and sodas and punch and ice cream will do nicely, maybe chips." _Sakura walked by Naruto's favorite ramen shop and sat down across from the shopkeeper.

"Excuse me, do you do special orders for parties?" Sakura asked.

The shopkeeper laughed lightly, "Let me guess, Uzumaki Naruto's going to show up for this one, right?"

Sakura returned his laugh, "Yeah, you know him and his ramen. I'm sure it won't be a party for him unless it had his favorite food."

"Okay then, no problem. I'll make enough for my favorite customer in time for your party."

"Could you make some for me too, I'm kinda hungry. Pork ramen please."

"Sure thing!" He replied, turning to do his work.

"Excuse me, Sakura-chan? Can I join you for lunch?" someone said from beside her. She looked and found Rock Lee who just received his order from the shopkeeper's daughter.

"Lee-kun, hi!" Sakura said and nodded yes to his question. In response Lee scooted closer.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. I'm glad to see you again."

"What on earth are you talking about, Lee-kun? You just saw me not too long ago. And on top of that, when I was working at the hospital for the past month, didn't you try to visit everyday?"

"Well…yeah but most of the time, I'm always glad to see you. Recently though, you've been depressed and it hurt me to see you like that too. I'm not saying you didn't have a right to be sad, or that you shouldn't have taken some time to yourself. All I'm saying is that I really missed your wonderful smile and I'm glad it's back." Lee said, turning his face towards her with a smile of his own, not one of his goofy ones, but a genuine one with true feeling and happiness.

"Lee-kun…" Sakura didn't know what else to say. She never realized how much she hurt her friend when she isolated herself. _"How many of the others feel like that," _she wondered.

"Are you really sure about this party you want to throw?" Lee continued, "I know it's been about a month since Sasuke's disappearance, but you shouldn't force yourself to try to be happy. You should do this because you _want_ to do it. Don't put on a show for our sake. You'd only be hurting yourself more." Sakura was surprised at Lee's ability to make her look at herself and her decisions as well as how much he really cared. She thought it over for a moment, and then smiled back at him.

"Yes Lee-kun," Sakura said softly, "I'm very sure about this party I'm throwing. I'm not trying to put on a show for anyone, I want this party. I _need_ this party. I've been alone for a while now and this is a chance for me to apologize to the friends whom I've neglected for the past month. I want to make it up to them, show them that I still care, show them that they matter to me…but most of all, I want to make sure that I really can get over this loss and move on with my life, to see if there's room in my heart for someone else now that I know Sasuke-kun's gone for good…"

"Really?" Lee brightened, but then he remembered the advice the Hokage gave him just before he arrived here, _"A little bit of Rock Lee seems to go a long way and too much of a good thing can be bad," Tsunade pointed out, "just be honest with yourself and with her and don't go overboard…take things slow with her. Be her friend before trying anything else, okay?" _"Well, in that case, I hope you find someone that can truly make you happy again, but in the meantime, I'm here for you and so are the others."

"Thank you, Lee-kun, that means a lot to me," Sakura replied, slowly reaching out and gently grasping his hand. Surprisingly, Sakura's heart started to beat a little faster at this small show of affection and she started to blush lightly

"L…Lee-kun?" Sakura said.

"Y…yes, Sakura-chan?" Lee replied, also blushing a bit.

"HEY BUSHY BROW, CHECK THIS OUT!!!" a hand slammed down right in front of Lee's and Sakura's and had a slip of paper in it. Looking at the arm the hand was attached to showed a very familiar orange jacket and they both looked up and saw a very familiar mischevious grin.

"N..Naruto-kun?!" Sakura quickly let go of Lee's hand and put it behind her back and Lee did the same, both of them turning away from each other, and feeling rather foolish, "What the heck are you doing!? You nearly gave me a heart attack, you idiot!"

"Huh? Sakura-chan? You're here too?" Naruto waved his hands in front of him in a surrender gesture, "I was just doing as you asked; giving out those invites you wanted me to do for you. No need to get upset."

"Coming out of nowhere and scaring the life out of Lee-kun and I is plenty good reason!"

"Well, I did want to do a little training on my own and I thought stealthing it over here would do it, but I never expected to catch you two so off guard."

"Off guard? Why you!" Sakura got up and Naruto started to back off, knowing what was coming but sure he couldn't avoid it. Sakura's fist pounded into Naruto's cheek and he went flying to the wall on the other side of the street where he poofed into cloud of white smoke.

"Huh? Kage Bunshin?" Sakura wondered, "Maybe he sent a lot of them out at once to deliver the invitations quicker. What do you think Lee-kun?" Looking at a clock hanging on the ramen shop's wall, Lee quickly devoured the rest of his ramen and started to run in place.

"I'm truly sorry, Sakura-chan, but I must be going. My lunch break is over and I need to get back to Gai-sensei. Thanks for having lunch with me!" He waved as he ran off. Then the ramen shopkeeper came back with Sakura's order.

"Huh? Where'd your date go?" he asked.

"D…d…d…date?!" Sakura laughed nervously, "Don't be silly, he's just a good friend!" _"Then why did you feel what you did when you held hands?" _Inner Sakura told her…

(A/N: Well another chapter completed. I hope you liked this one. Sakura's got something to think about, doesn't she? Next chapter Naruto tries to find someone to teach him to dance. Meanwhile Sakura's trying to get her home ready for the party, but she'll need some help…)


	4. Chapter 4

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 4

(A/N: Well thanks again to everyone who's sent in reviews. I hope you enjoy this next chapter and please leave more reviews, I love getting them.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters)

Naruto was wandering around Konoha while the shadow clones he sent out wrote and delivered the invitations Sakura had asked for. They all disappeared once they delivered the messages so Naruto knew when they received the invites. The real Naruto had something more important to take care of. _"Okay, I need to find someone to teach me to dance before Sakura's party. Who to ask…I've got it! She'll be perfect! If only I can find her…"_ Naruto wandered first towards the training grounds, then towards the woods and he found Kiba, Shino, and Hinata training with Kurenai. _"Hey there she is, I've got to get her to meet with me alone though, I don't want Kiba or Shino to know I can't dance. That's just one more thing they would poke fun at me about…" _Then Kurenai spotted him and called out to him.

"Naruto-kun did you forget something, you already interrupted our training once today. I was willing to let that slip by but unless it's something important…"

"Oh, sorry Kurenai-sensei. I can come back if that's better for you, it can wait," Naruto replied.

Kurenai sighed, "You can stick around until we're finished. Give us 20 more minutes. I'll even let you train with us if you want."

"Okay cool! I'll take on any of your students you want!" Naruto said confidently.

"Okay then, Kiba first, I'm sure he's eager for a rematch after what happened during the Chunin Exams, then Shino, then Hinata. All right everyone have at it!" Kurenai ordered.

XXX

Sakura organizing the stuff she bought for the party, but she was more in thought about what the ramen shopkeeper had said _"He thought Lee-san and I were on a date, what's up with that? We would never…I mean not that I hate Lee, he's a nice enough guy, but he's…just a friend, yeah that's it…" _she thought.

"_A very good friend that's always been there for you ever since he first saw you…"_ Inner Sakura replied to her, _"He promised to always protect you with his very life and he's never backed down from that oath."_

"_Yeah well, Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sensei…and….Sasuke-kun have done the same, and I don't think they have any romantic interests in me…especially Sasuke-kun." _Sakura thought to herself sadly.

"_Will you quit moping about that jerk already? You've been pining for him for years without success and he abandoned you! Get over him! I thought part of the reason you wanted to throw this party was so you could move on with your life without him. You promised Tsunade-sensei and more importantly yourself that you'd try to give some of the other boys a chance. They're all your friends already and maybe, just maybe one of them could offer something more, and maybe that someone is Rock Lee. He declared his love for you when you first met and since then he's been nothing but sincere in his intentions," _Inner Sakura countered.

"_Yeah, but...he's __bushy brow!__"_

"_Yeah and you're…"_

"Billboard Brow! How's it going!?" someone called out, "Need some help with those things?"

"Huh?" Sakura said, coming out of her thought process. She looked to find Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru.

"You bought a lot of food! Cool! Can I have some?" Choji asked with a wide grin and rubbing his hands together.

"Not yet Choji!" Ino said smacking him on the back of the head, "that's for the party, remember?!" Then she was all smiles again when she turned to Sakura, "Three Naruto clones found us and told us about the party. It sounds like fun…thanks for inviting me," she continued, suddenly looking down.

"Well, why wouldn't I invite my best friend?" Sakura smiled at her. At that Ino's eyes widened.

"You're serious? After all that's happened between us?" Ino asked surprised.

"Look, we were inseparable when we were kids and the reason we were so mean and hateful towards each other turned out not to be worth it when he left us, so if it's ok with you, I'd like to bury the hatchet and try start over with a clean slate," Sakura replied, "You're my friend Ino and I'd like you to come to my party to let me prove it."

"Well in that case, consider that hatchet six feet under," Ino smiled and gave Sakura a high five.

"Well that's good. I knew you two had it in you," Choji said, trying to give Ino a bear hug.

"Yeah it was so troublesome watching you two fight," Shikamaru added.

"Choji, will you get off of me please?" Ino said blushing, "you're embarrassing me."

"Okay okay, it just seemed like a touching moment for you and I wanted to show you I was happy for you."

"So _anyways,"_ Shikamaru interrupted, "Sakura-chan, I was wondering something. I have a…friend I want to invite to your party from the Sand Village, if that's ok with you?"

"Ah, I think I know where this is going and it's ok, Temari-chan's more than welcome here," Sakura replied smiling while Shikamaru blushed and looked down.

"Man what a drag, it's not like I'm with her or anything, we just work well together and on our last mission she wanted to 'hang out,' but I was a drag on her so I wanted to make it up. Hokage-sama in her _infinite _wisdom decided to assign us more missions together and I want us to get along."

"Sure sure," Ino said, "The fact that Temari-chan's a _very _pretty girl that's almost as smart as you has _nothing_ to do with this," she laughed lightly.

"So anyways, Sakura-chan," Choji began, "We saw you with all these bags and thought there was no way you could take all of them back to your place on your own so we're offering to help."

"Cool, thanks Choji-kun," Sakura replied, "I'll even open up one of the bags of chips I bought when we're done, just for you."

"Don't do that, Sakura-chan," Ino said poking Choji's belly playfully, "You feed him one bag, he'll want all the others."

"Hey I have _some_ self control. If I eat all the snacks now, I won't be able to eat them all at the party now will I?" Choji replied, causing the others to laugh.

"Come on guys, let's go already and help Sakura set up. It'd be troublesome to do this all alone."

"Wow Shikamaru-kun, you're actually offering to do some of the work?" Sakura asked sarcastically.

"Yeah yeah, don't expect me to make a habit of it," Shikamaru replied. As he and the others picked up several bags, Inner Sakura started up again.

"_As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by Ino-pig…"_

"_Hey she's our friend now, let's try to be nice,"_ Sakura replied.

"_Okay, but if she still calls us Billboard Brow or Forehead Girl after this, even playfully, then Ino-pig will still live on!"_

"_Umm, you were trying to say something?" _Sakura reminded "herself."

"_Yeah, you were calling Lee-san 'Bushy Brow,' and I was about to retort but I think Ino-pig…I mean Ino-chan made my point for me. How many people have made fun of you for your forehead even not counting Ino? Well Lee-san thinks you're the most beautiful girl there is and nothing will change his opinion on that I'm sure. Now admit it, despite the eyebrows, you think he's cute don't you?" _Inner Sakura said.

"_Okay okay, Lee-san is very sweet and I did like it when we held hands earlier," _Sakura started to blush at that memory, _"Okay, you win, he's cute, but that doesn't mean I love him!"_

"Hey Sakura-chan, you okay?" Ino said a little concerned, "You're turning red."

"Umm….yeah yeah I'm doing great nothing like prepping for a party to get the blood pumping," Sakura laughed nervously but still blushing a bit.

"I think you're thinking of someone," Ino replied, "Come on tell us."

"Nope, can't do that, it's a secret," she smiled and started skipping ahead of the others.

"Well at least she's in a good mood again," Shikamaru observed.

XXX

After 20 minutes had elapsed, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata had finished their sparring session with Naruto, all of them relatively exhausted.

"Great job everyone," Kurenai said, "And it was great having you train with them, Naruto-kun, but I think we should call it a day. Have fun at your party everyone," she said cheerfully as she walked off.

"Okay, I've got to go buy myself something 'dressy' for Sakura-chan's party anyways. I think I'll give Akamaru a little something too," Kiba said while Akamaru barked his consent.

"I'll see everyone there," Shino said simply, "I look forward to it." As he left Naruto approached Hinata as she was about to leave.

"Hey Hinata-chan, wait up," Naruto called out.

"S…sure Naruto-kun. What can I do for you?" Hinata asked.

"Well," Naruto laughed nervously, running his hand through his hair, "This isn't easy for me to ask, but will you…will you please…teach me to dance?"

(A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Turned out to be longer than I expected so I didn't get as far as I wanted, but I'm still satisfied with the way this one turned out. Next chapter, how will Hinata react to Naruto's request? And more people will show up to help Sakura set up including a certain Taijutsu master. Don't forget to leave your reviews. Oh and if you sensed a minor Ino/Choji moment back there, that was for you Dark Prey and Krillin Fan!)


	5. Chapter 5

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 5

(A/N: Once again I've enjoyed the reviews and the favoriting by the various readers I have. Though I enjoy knowing people have added my story to their favorites and myself as a favorite author, I really think reviews are even better feedback, even if it's only a few words. With that said, I hope you enjoy this latest installment. Its going to be Naruto/Hinata heavy this time but there will be time for some Sakura/Lee in a later chapter.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters)

"_D…did Naruto-kun really…ask me to…teach him…to DANCE?"_ Hinata's eyes widened in shock at Naruto's question, _"I…can't believe this…this is wonderful! Wait a minute… this is horrible…"_ Naruto looked at her with confusion, then concern.

"Is there something wrong, Hinata-chan? I'm sorry if I upset you…I guess it was a bad idea to ask you," Naruto said, his face turning from its usual goofy self to disappointment and a little sadness, "I guess I better go now. See you around, Hinata-chan," Naruto turned to leave and was walking slowly away…

"Naruto-kun, please wait! You don't understand!" Hinata moved closer to him and put her hand on his right shoulder, "I could never be mad at you," she blushed slightly, then the red in her face deepened and her heartbeat increased when she realized where her hand was. She was about to pull it away quickly but Naruto was faster, he reached with his left hand and clasped Hinata's gently, then he turned around slowly, not letting go of her.

"Then tell me, Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto said with concern in his voice, "Whatever it is, please tell me." Hinata continued to blush and look away from Naruto, "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said as he released her hand, but Hinata grabbed it again.

"Naruto-kun…it's not you, it's me…you see…I…can't dance either!" Now her whole face was like a radish, "I'm so sorry, so very sorry I can't help you!" Hinata said bowing up and down constantly, but there were some tears forming in her eyes, _"Naruto-kun finally needs me for something, and I can't do anything about it…"_

"Hinata-chan, please don't feel bad. We can still think of something," Naruto replied, "Well, from what little I've seen from other people dancing, it doesn't seem too hard, it's like our Taijutsu practice, only not as fast and not trying to hurt anyone. I'm sure two of Konoha's best can pull it off just by training each other."

"Are…are you sure, Naruto-kun? It doesn't seem like it would be that easy," Hinata said.

"Well we won't know unless we try. You willing to practice with me?"

"Y..yes Naruto-kun, let's get started."

"Okay then let's stand close together but not _too_ close. Next I think we need to move our left arms as far to the left as we can as if deflecting a kunai or something like that," Naruto instructed.

"O…okay." Now both of them were just standing there with their left arms outstretched and just looking at each other.

"Oh wait! I'm an idiot! You need to do that with your _right_ arm while I do it with my _left_!" Naruto laughed at himself. Once Hinata's other arm was outstretched, Naruto continued with his impromptu training, "Okay, now we use our other arms to try and grapple each other or something like that," Naruto's right arm wrapped around Hinata's back and Hinata's left arm did the same, "Now let's move!" Naruto said enthusiastically and spun poor Hinata around making her dizzy and fall to the ground, as she did so she accidentally tripped Naruto.

"Whooaaa!!" Naruto and Hinata cried out as they crashed into each other, "Oh man, Hinata-chan, are you ok?" Naruto asked, getting up from on top of her, then he held his hand out to her.

"Yes…yes I'm fine, Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she took the offered assistance.

The two young ninja dusted themselves off, "Well that was a fun first try wasn't it, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Only you can make falling flat on the ground like that seem fun," Hinata laughed lightly, "Do you still want my help, Naruto-kun?"

"You bet, Hinata-chan. When Sakura-chan invited me to her party and told me there would be dancing, I knew I had to be taught it, but I didn't know at first who to turn to. Kakashi-sensei's a guy, there's no way I'd ask him, even if he _is_ an adult…most of the time. So I thought about the other girls in our age group and out of all of them, I knew I wanted to learn from you, Hinata-chan." This declaration made the red return to Hinata's cheeks.

"W…why me…Naruto-kun?"

"Well, lotsa reasons really. I mean I could've asked Sakura-chan, but she's busy getting her party set up anyways, and…I think she'd laugh at me for not knowing how to dance. I'm pretty sure I would've gotten the same reaction from Ino-chan and I don't think I know TenTen well enough to ask, so I thought of you, Hinata-chan. I knew you wouldn't have laughed at me. You may be shy and hesitant most of the time, but you're also very nice and kind. Also we have a lot in common. We just wanted to earn everyone's respect and we work very hard to do so. I think…out of all the girls in our village, I...like you best, Hinata-chan," Naruto began to blush a little himself and let out a small laugh while looking at the ground.

Hinata was still red and was tempted to find somewhere to hide, but then she remembered the talk she had with Tsunade a few hours before Naruto came to ask her to dance…_"Naruto is very admirable but he does have a few failings. He doesn't always know what's going on around him or how the people around him feel, though he pretends otherwise. I think you're going to have to spell out your feelings for him, but I'm confident that once you do, you'll make him the happiest boy in Konoha, and you'll be just as happy. You could do it at Sakura-chan's party, while everyone else is busy doing whatever. Ask him to dance, maybe or encourage him to do the same. That'd be a good way to start. Like I said, take it slow and easy when you tell him, and you'll be fine…"_

"_Well I guess I should take Hokage-sama's advice and wait until the party to tell him, but I don't think I need to be shy around him anymore," _Hinata thought to herself, _"I don't need to hide away from him."_ "Umm…thank you, Naruto-kun. I like you best too, but I think we'll need some more help if we're going to learn how to dance in time for Sakura-chan's party, don't you think?"

"Uhh…I guess," Naruto said, "but who should we ask?"

"Kurenai-sensei could do it. She's very nice and I think she'd love to help us out. Come on, Naruto-kun, let's go find her she can't be _too_ far off."

"Okay then, what are we waiting for?" Naruto and Hinata began to walk side by side together towards where they saw Kurenai last, "Oh and Hinata-chan. I've noticed you don't stutter as much as you use to. You're voice sounds awesome."

Hinata smiled, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

XXX

Sakura, Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru finally arrived at Sakura's house carrying all of the snacks and party items that Sakura bought earlier. Sakura opened her door and they all walked in and put down the stuff Sakura bought.

"Okay, Sakura-chan," Ino said, taking charge with a wide grin and a fist pumped into the air, "Just tell us where you want everything and the InoShikaCho will take care of it for you!"

"Really guys, you don't need to do all of the work for me," Sakura protested.

"Well if you insist…" Shikamaru said, finding himself a couch to lie down on.

"Hey make some room for me!" Choji jumped on a cushion and broke out a bag of chips to munch on."

"Hey you two! Don't you dare go lazy on me! This is Sakura-chan's party. She's had it rough this past month and to make up for it, we're going to help her make it the best party Konoha's seen in our generation!" Ino shouted at her teammates, who immediately jumped to their feet at attention and sweatdropped.

"Oh come on, Ino-chan, have a heart," Choji protested.

"Who's the leader in our group anyways?" Shikamaru asked.

"ME! And don't you forget it!" Ino shouted again, then immediately her face went to its normal sweet self, "That should keep them in line, Sakura-chan."

"Umm…thank you, Ino-chan…you haven't stood up for me like that in a while."

"Ahem, I thought we wiped the slate clean and started our friendship over again. Weren't we going to try to forget how cruel we were to each other?"

"You're right, Ino-chan. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. Now tell us what you need us to do." Just then there was a knock at the door. Sakura opened the door and there was Neji, TenTen, and Lee.

"Hello, Sakura-chan, we were in the neighborhood and couldn't help but overhear Ino-chan's…devotion to getting your place set up," Neji said.

"Yeah I hope you haven't delegated any work yet, cause we're here to help," TenTen smiled.

"The more of us work, the better the results, don't you agree, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked.

"Besides, I know you told all of us to get dressy, but how do you expect to have the time to go find _yourself_ something nice to wear if you're more worried about where the balloons go," TenTen pointed out, "You've been exhausted and need to take a breather. Just tell us what needs to be done and we'll do it, then the Konoha girls can go on a shopping trip!"

"You guys…" Sakura smiled surprised to see most of her friends here, "Okay everyone, here's what we need to do…"

(A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter the final preparations for Sakura's party are readied and Naruto and Hinata's quest to learn to dance continues. Please leave your reviews, I love getting them. See you next chapter.)


	6. Chapter 6

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 6

(A/N: I've been getting a lot of good reviews and I'd like to thank all my readers, especially Krillin Fan and Dark Prey of the Underworld for their continued support with my story. I'm sorry I took a while to update this time, but I went crazy today when I wrote and my chapter was a _lot _longer as usual so I broke it up. In other words, as a special bonus, I'm giving you three new chapters at once instead of just the one! With that, I hope you enjoy.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters)

After ten minutes of searching, Naruto and Hinata had finally caught up with Kurenai and were calling her name out to get her attention.

"Hello! Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto shouted. The jonin stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Naruto and Hinata running side by side.

"What's got you two in a hurry?" Kurenai asked.

"Umm…Kurenai-sensei, about the dance that Sakura-chan invited us to…" Hinata began, "There's going to be…dancing at it and…well…"

"Neither of us knows how to dance, so could you please teach us, Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto finished. Kurenai was a little surprised at their request, but smiled. _"Well well, Hinata-chan. It looks like what I saw back at the Chunin exams was right. You have chosen the one that you love. I've been rooting for you two ever since that day and I think that this could be your big chance," _she thought to herself, "Okay then, I'd be happy to help you out. When is this party?"

"Umm…tomorrow night," Hinata replied looking at her invitation.

"_Tomorrow_" Kurenai was taken aback, "That doesn't give us a lot of time. Okay then you two. It's time to go into hardcore training mode. I just hope that after this, you won't hate dancing. It's a lot of hard work, but it's very rewarding," she said, "We need to go to the training grounds. Let's go."

"Yes ma'am! "Hurray we're going to learn to dance together, Hinata-chan!" Naruto cheered, which caused Hinata to smile and blush to herself.

"Oh and Naruto, don't call me 'ma'am.' I'm not an old woman after all. Like you, I've got the best years of my life coming up," Kurenai said.

XXX

Sakura and her visitors had just finished moving the furniture in her home around to the sides of the wall to make room for the tables they set for food. Everyone was taking a breather and Choji broke out another bag of chips.

"OK everyone, that was a good first step," Sakura praised seeing them done, "Now we need to go outside and set up the overhanging tarps. Shikamaru-kun, Choji-kun, Neji-kun, and Lee-kun, would you take care of that for me please. The ladies and I will be hanging up the decorations in here while you do that."

"It would be my pleasure, Sakura-chan," Lee said, saluting her. This caused Sakura to giggle slightly, "Come on everyone, let's go," Lee ordered, taking as many of the materials as possible. Neji nodded and took some himself. Shikamaru groaned.

"She said 'we' yet who does she make do all the hard work? The boys. What a drag," he complained.

"You think that's the hard work, Shikamaru? Trying to hang up decorations so they're just right _and_ color coordinated, that's just as hard. I don't think it's a job you boys can handle," Ino smirked at him.

"We can't take that lying down can we?" Choji asked, finishing his snack quickly.

"Let's just do what we were assigned. Trust me the results will speak for themselves," Neji replied, heading outside.

"Hey wait for us, Neji-kun," Shikamaru called out as all the guys left the room. When they closed the outer door and began their work, TenTen turned towards the other ladies, "Well now that they're out of the way, let's talk about them behind their backs," she smiled mischievously

"TenTen," Ino said in mock surprise, "I thought we were going to work, not rag on our guy friends over there."

"Who says we can't do both?" Sakura grinned earning a laugh from TenTen and Ino.

"You know it's too bad Hinata-chan isn't here to talk with," Ino sighed, "having all four of us would be fun," then she got out a stepladder and put it against the wall. She had a pink streamer in her hand and a staple gun and stapled one end of the streamer to the wall, "TenTen catch!" she tossed the streamer across the room where TenTen was waiting with her own staple gun and stepladder.

"Don't worry, she'll be at the party," Sakura replied, blowing up some white balloons, "Not that she's one to gossip with us, she's too innocent, not that that's a bad thing."

"Speaking of missing people, Naruto-kun, Kiba-kun, and Shino-kun aren't here either. We could've put them to work," Ino said, "Oh well."

"So first question I've got for you two," TenTen began, "Now that Sasuke's out of the picture, which of Konoha's young bachelors are you going for? I hope it won't be the same one though. We don't want you two to break up again after making up after all these years." She finished her end of the streamer and she and Ino moved on to get the next one set up. This one was red.

"Oh don't worry," Ino replied, "I am _so_ over Sasuke-baka, but I don't think I'm ready to try to date anyone quite yet, I'd like to keep my options open."

"Oh really, Ino-chan? What about your teammates, Shikamaru-kun or," Sakura grinned again as she got a step ladder and started to hang up the balloons she finished, "Choji-kun?"

"Choji-kun? Don't be ridiculous Sakura-chan. Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy and all, but he's always stuffing his face with chips, it can get disgusting sometimes and he's so…big boned," Ino replied, not wanting to have Choji accidentally overhear the word "fat." "Give me a guy who's decently built any day."

"Like Shikamaru-kun?" TenTen suggested. She and Ino had just finished another streamer.

"Shikamaru-kun is way too lazy for me. Anyways, I think getting him to be romantic would be like pulling teeth. I'd feel sorry for any girl that likes him beyond friendship to be honest. Like I said, I'm not really interested in anyone at the moment. How about you, TenTen, I know you had a crush on Sasuke-baka at first, so now that he's gone, who's your number one guy?" They began on a third streamer while Sakura put balloons on the second one.

"Hey I thought Sasuke was cute and all, but I never thought past that. I wasn't nearly as bad off as you two….oh I'm so sorry Sakura-chan," TenTen said quickly as she saw the depressed look in Sakura's eyes.

"It's ok, TenTen. I was pretty gone wasn't I? I just need to get over him like Ino-chan did. That's part of the reason I wanted to throw this party, to try to move on and give someone else a chance."

"Ah, now we come to the truth of the matter," Ino said smiling, "Is there anyone in particular you're planning to ensnare with you wonderful charms? I know, probably Naruto-kun. He's been your teammate for a while now and he may be annoying sometimes, but I've seen that you care about him a lot too. And how often has he saved your butt on the battlefield? I know enough about Naruto to see that he thinks of you a little more than a teammate. You're someone he'd give his life for without hesitation."

Sakura blushed a bit at what Ino had just said and that got TenTen worried and she dropped the streamer she was working on, _"Oh no! If she really __does__ like Naruto-kun, it will break poor Lee-kun's heart. Naruto-kun, I'm sorry if you have any feelings for Sakura-chan, but for Lee-kun's sake, I'm rooting for him,"_ she thought

"Oh Naruto has his moments I suppose," TenTen began, "But I honestly think you should give Lee-kun a chance, Sakura. I mean he's been crazy about you since the day you two met. There's not a day that goes by that he doesn't think about you, I can tell. I probably shouldn't say anything, but he's even told me a little about his feelings for you and I believe them to be genuine."

"Hey yeah! They'd be perfect for each other," Ino agreed, "I mean after the Chunin exams and he and Sasuke were hospitalized, you went to Lee-kun's bedside just as much as Sasuke's. And when Lee-kun was recovering from his surgery, who was at his side, every single waking moment she could? You were, Sakura-chan. I also notice you've stopped calling him 'Lee-san' and started calling him 'Lee-kun' recently. Doesn't that indicate your relationship has changed a bit? Don't you feel closer to him?" Sakura looked lost in thought as all three of the young kunoichi stopped their work for a minute.

"_You know they're right," _Inner Sakura spoke up, _"It's like I've been saying, bushy brow's the guy for you."_

"_Shut up," _Sakura replied, _"You were just as crazy about Sasuke as me. You __are__ me. I think I need to talk to Tsunade-sensei about you."_

"_That's a problem for another day. Who do you choose? I personally would go for Lee-kun, but Ino made a good case for Naruto-kun. He'd be a good catch too I guess."_

"_Well I've got to go with what my heart, not with the popular vote."_

"Hey Sakura-chan, you ok?" Ino moved over and shook Sakura a bit.

"Yeah, you two just gave me something to think about is all," Sakura replied, shaken out of her thought process, "So TenTen, it's your turn. You never said who you'd like to be with. Come on out with it."

"Well," TenTen blushed and clasped her hands together, "I think he likes me but I'm not sure. He's usually a very private person, but he's slowly opening up to me and I like that."

"Ah, only one person that could be," Ino observed…

(A/N: Well that's the first of my new updated chapters. I hope you enjoyed this one. Next chapter we find out what Neji and the guys think about the ladies. Oh one more special note. For those of you who may be Cowboy Bebop fans, my girlfriend, MysticFireBlood and I are collaborating on a fanfic together called "The S4." It's an AU in which the Bebop crew are secret agents instead of bounty hunters. If you like Bebop, check it out on our combined profile called MysticPhantasy.)


	7. Chapter 7

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 7

(A/N: Well not much to say since I'm doing multiple chapter updates in one sitting. I hope you enjoy.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters)

Neji looked around at the other guys who had just put together the rods and stuck them through the holes of the tarp. "OK, on three…1, 2, 3!" Together they raised the main tarp that hung like a ceiling just outside of Sakura's house, "well that was easy. Let's get the other tarps up. This is a party for eleven people after all."

"Man, I thought we were done," Shikamaru complained.

"No, we just got started. We need to make this area look perfect for Sakura-chan," Lee replied, gathering more rods and one of the smaller tarps.

"So has anyone seen Naruto-kun, or Shino's group at all today?" Choji asked.

"Shino-kun and Kiba-kun at the shopping district," Neji replied, his Byakugan active, "It looked like Shino-kun was looking for a gift and Kiba-kun was looking for something to wear to the party. It looks like Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan are training together with Kurenai-sensei," he waited a moment before deactivating his kekkei genkai.

"Wouldn't it be funny if those two were together," Choji said, choosing this moment to open up a couple of chocolate bars.

"Hinata-chan's so innocent, it would be hard to see her with anyone," Lee replied.

"The same thing could be said about you, Lee-kun," Shikamaru teased.

"Hey, I'm a gentleman when it comes to matters of the heart, but I know something of romance I think."

"Oh really, then you're finally got Sakura-chan to go out with you on a date then?" Choji asked, finishing his shack.

"No…not yet, but I promise myself, before her party's over, I will at least ask her to dance with me," Lee replied.

"Do you even know _how_ to dance?" Neji asked.

"For your information, yes I do," Lee replied, "The noble art of Taijutsu was originally a dance, and after Guy-sensei started giving me advanced lessons in it, I decided to study dance on my own as another way to help with my skills."

"Well good for you. Now if only your skills could help you win over your would-be girlfriend's heart for you," Neji replied, "We all know you like Sakura-chan. You blurt it out so often; I don't think there's anyone in Konoha who doesn't know. But you need a plan to do so."

"I do have one. I plan to approach her in my own way and be totally honest with her," Lee said.

"Yeah like that worked before," Shikamaru replied, "Do you have anything new to try."

"Unlike other guys, I don't rely on cheesy pick up lines or empty promises to win over someone. I also want her to like me for me. So don't go criticizing my way of doing things," Lee said confidently, "And if you are the genius you say you are, I'm sure you could get any woman you wanted, if you actually _worked_ for it. Too bad you're so lazy."

"Women are so troublesome," Shikamaru said, "The sooner you guys learn that the better. I don't need to go out of my way looking for trouble. Trouble has already found me."

"Oh really?" Choji asked, "So who's the unfortunate girl who has to put up with you?"

"I don't want to say it out loud. Come on guys, we have work to do."

"Oh now we _have_ to know. If Nara Shikamaru would rather work than talk about it, she must be special," Lee prodded.

"Alright alright, if it'll shut you guys up, it's Temari-chan from the Sand Village."

"TEMARI?" Choji shouted loudly, "You're crazy man. I know you work together once in a while, but do you have any idea what her brothers would do to you if you manage to screw things up with her? Kankuro would be bad enough, but I don't want to see an overprotective Gaara."

"I have a faint idea of what would be in store for him," Lee replied, placing a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder, "I experienced Gaara's attack firsthand and it was the most painful experience of my life."

"Did you hear that Shikamaru-kun?" Choji said, "You better back out before you get in too deep."

Shikamaru sweated and his eyes widened when he thought of what Kankuro and Gaara would do to avenge their heartbroken sister, hypothetically. _"Oh man, why'd you have to drag me into this, Temari? I just wanted a simple life with a simple girlfriend that would eventually be my simple wife and we'd have a nice quiet life together with our potential children. Now I've got two potential brothers-in-law who'd kill me if I set one toe out of line. But now that I think about it, you're almost as smart as I am and we do work well together. You're not that bad looking either. Sure I think I can give it a try." _"Hey we've only worked together so far. We're just partners, friends. That's all," Shikamaru told his friends.

"But you wish it was something more," Neji said.

"Please, she can be bossy and always wants to make me work, who'd want that?" Shikamaru denied.

"Sure, whatever, we know you like her," Choji said, reaching in his pockets for a small pack of cookies.

"OK big mouth, what about you?" Shikamaru countered.

"Oh you know me," Choji said, plunging a cookie into his mouth, "Big boned like this. You remember what Ino-chan said about me a while back. How no girl would go for a guy like me."

"Hey you remember what I said back to you, right?" Shikamaru replied, "Who cares what you look like, you should be happy the way you are like I am. You always stuffing your face, and me being laid back all the time."

"You mean lazy," Neji picked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Also Ino-chan's the one who thinks she has to be a toothpick to attract a guy and who wants that? If you're going to try to find a girl for yourself, be sure she wants you for who you are. It's not impossible, your parents got together after all and your mother's a cutie from what I remember."

"Don't talk about my mom like that!" Choji shouted, "Back to work!"

"Well Neji-kun," Lee said, placing the rod into the hole of the second tarp, "Who do you want to be the love of your life?"

"I'm not saying," Neji said, also getting back to work.

"Oh now that Uchiha is gone, our man from the Hyuga clan will be the most eligible bachelor. Just watch. Soon the fan girls will be lining up around the corner," Shikamaru teased as he was ready.

"I am a man of principle. I wouldn't go for a 'fan girl.' The Hyuga clan for several generations has been very selective in who they want to be with."

"He'll probably suffer an arranged marriage or something," Choji said, getting his side ready.

"Maybe, but I'd rather experience real love first…" Neji replied.

"Ah the big bad Hyuga has a soft side after all," Lee smiled goofily, "Let's get this tarp up…1, 2, 3!"

(A/N: Well that's part 2 of my updates, next chapter Sakura finally decides where her heart lies after that small inner conflict with Inner Sakura, then decides to finally tell someone how she really feels. Also, Naruto and Hinata finish up their dancing lessons with Kurenai, and they make further plans. Expect much fluff!)


	8. Chapter 8

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 8

(A/N: Here's the last of my new updates. I hope you enjoy and leave your reviews.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.)

After an hour, Sakura, Ino, and TenTen were done decorating most of the room. The only part left was the stairway. Sakura had volunteered to do that part on her own while her friends relaxed and enjoyed the results of their work. The ceiling had several streamers running from one side of it to the other, alternating in pink, red, and white colors with balloons to match. Just then the guys walked back in.

"Hey Sakura-chan, we're done outside," Lee reported.

"Hey cool let's take a look," TenTen said to Ino.

"Be there in a minute, just need to finish this last part…whoa!" Sakura had lost her balance and started to fall towards the first floor eight feet below when a streak of green moved in, caught her, and landed safely on the ground.

"Oh wow, thanks, Lee-kun," Sakura smiled and Lee gave one of his trademark grins back.

"I promised to protect you always. That includes little things like this too," Lee replied. Sakura smiled softly and blushed to herself, especially once she considered she was in his arms for the first time. Lee let her back down gently and Sakura felt a twinge of disappointment but let it go.

"_Cha! Nice save Lee!"_ Inner Sakura said, _"You know you liked being held by him," _she teased.

"_Yeah it was...nice…very nice. I've never felt like this when Naruto saves me. Sure I'm grateful but it hasn't left me feeling…whatever it is I'm feeling. I think I know where my heart lies now. I shouldn't have doubted it, no matter what Ino-chan said,"_ Sakura replied

"_Hey once TenTen made her case, Ino-chan was all for it. If you wanted the 'popular vote,' I think you have it, but as you said, it's what your heart wants that matters."_

"_Yeah and I know that too…"_ She looked over at Lee, "Hey Lee-kun?" she asked.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"S..sure, anything for you," Soon Lee and Sakura were at the other side of the house. TenTen looked at this and smiled in approval.

"Hey weren't we going to see what the guys did?" She asked Ino, then gently forced her and the other guys out of the house.

XXX

"Wow great job!" Ino said in surprise. The tarps had several red and white stickers in the shape of the Konoha symbol on the underside, in easy view.

"And who said guys didn't know how to decorate?" Neji said proudly.

"Ok Ok, I take it back. You did good," Ino said.

"Yeah you were awesome," TenTen added.

XXX

"So what is it you wanted to speak to me about, Sakura-chan?"

"Lee-kun…I just wanted to say again how much I've appreciated all the things you've done for me."

"It was nothing, Sakura-chan. Like I said, I'd do anything for you."

"I know. And I know why too," Sakura was blushing again and turning away slightly, "You've always been really great to me. You've always been there for me no matter what I needed, whether it was protection from an enemy, a shoulder to cry on, or a pep talk. You're the best Lee-kun, and I wanted to let you know that."

"Sakura-chan, you've done even more for me. I remember when I had the hardest decision of my life, whether to go through with the surgery to try to regain my life as a shinobi and have a very high chance of dying on the operating table, or living the rest of my life safely behind those crutches I had to bear. You came to me in that moment of decision, at the brink of depression, bearing flowers for me, a gift I never thought I'd ever receive from you, telling me that you'd do anything for me, all I had to do was ask. You encouraged me, helped me back on my feet, literally and figuratively. I can never properly thank you for that. You're the best too, Sakura-chan and I want to make sure you know that," Lee's eyes were tearing up, but not in the goofy way.

"_This isn't the usual goofy Bushy Brows talking," _Sakura thought to herself, _"Lee-kun's pouring his heart and soul out to me. How long has he kept that inside? He really must care for me a lot more than I __ever__ thought."_

"_So what are you waiting for, ask him out! He loves you! You can tell it right? And you've admitted you at least like him, right? You said he's cute and you enjoyed that brief time when you held hands. Couldn't those be signs of something more? Isn't there enough potential here to make it worth the risk to your heart again? You can at least give him a chance!"_

"_You're right. He does deserve a chance. After all this time pining for me and me totally ignoring him…I should've known better, it's no different than the way Sasuke-kun treated me. He deserves better. I like him as a friend already and we may…have been getting closer recently. I think I can try to let him in. Somehow, I don't see him as the kind of guy who would betray anyone, let alone someone he declared his love to." _Sakura had finally decided where her heart lies.

"Lee-kun, if you want to start to properly thank me…at the party tomorrow…would you be my date?" Lee's eyes were tearing again but these were tears of joy.

"Yes Sakura-chan, it would be my greatest honor to be your date," he replied. Then the goofy smile came back, "YAHOO! I'm going on a date with SAKURA-CHAN!"

"_Way to go, Lee!" _TenTen smiled cheering for her best friend.

"I hope the goofball didn't just ruin things for himself by shouting across the whole town," Neji muttered.

"Oh well we all have our ways of showing happiness and appreciation," TenTen replied.

"So now that we're done here, let's go shopping!" Ino said and grabbed TenTen's wrist. Sakura and Lee had walked out to see their friends.

"Well everyone, thanks for the help today and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow night," Sakura said, "Have a good night everyone!" Then Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and the three ladies walked off together.

"Uh oh, they're in a pack together, you're in trouble now, Lee-kun," Shikamaru joked.

"Let's go home everyone," Neji said. Each of the young shinobi walked off in the direction of their homes, looking forward to the party the next evening.

XXX

"Alright, well done. You two are naturals," Kurenai said as Naruto and Hinata finished their "training." "You're both ready to dance at the party tomorrow night."

"Yeah! We did it, Hinata-chan! You were a great partner to learn from," Naruto said.

"Th…thank you, Naruto-kun. You were good too. It was a lot of fun," Hinata replied.

"Yeah, it'll be even more fun tomorrow night when we get to dance together again," Naruto grinned.

"_What did he say? '__We?__' __'Again?__' Is he suggesting what I think he's suggesting?" _Hinata blushed and clasped her hands behind her back.

"That is…if you want to...?" Naruto said nervously, "I'll understand if you don't. I just thought that since we had so much fun already…"

"_Oh no! He thinks I'm not interested. I shouldn't have hesitated again. OK. Here goes." _"I'dlovetoNaruto-kun," Hinata said.

"What was that, Hinata-chan, could you say that a little slower please?" Naruto asked.

"What I tried to say was, I'd love to dance with you again tomorrow night at Sakura-chan's party."

"Great. Then it's a date. I better find myself something cool to wear, this'll be my first date and I want to look great for you."

"_He used the 'D' word! This isn't a dream. I can't believe it, Naruto-kun and I are going out on a date!" _"OK Naruto-kun, I'll look forward to seeing you. I've got something nice to wear I think you'd like. Oh and Naruto-kun. This is my first date ever too. I'm…glad it's with you…See you tomorrow night!" Hinata smiled. She bowed to her sensei in gratitude, then smiled and skipped, rather than walked, her way home. Her heart was flying high.

"Oh Thanks again, Kurenai-sensei, for teaching us how to dance properly. This means a lot to me, probably her too."

"You're very welcome Naruto-kun. Now you had best treat Hinata-chan right when you go on your date. I know you like to hang out with Jiraiya-sama and I don't want to hear that you've picked up his bad habits," Kurenai replied.

"Don't worry, Kurenai-sensei, I'll be a perfect gentleman. Hinata-chan deserves the best!" Naruto smiled his own goofy grin before walking home, his hands situated behind his head.

"_Well, my work here is done. Now it's up to them. Good luck," _Kurenai thought as she headed home.

(A/N: Well that's it for my updates for now. I hope you enjoyed this little "marathon." Next chapter the party finally begins and we see how cool everyone looks. How will the romances develop? Please leave me your reviews.)


	9. Chapter 9

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 9

(A/N: Well it's been over a month since my last update and I apologize. I hope that making this chapter extra-long will make up for it. Thanks to everyone who has shown support, especially Krillin Fan, Dark Prey, Deadly Desire, and Mystic Fire Blood. I can't wait to see everyone's reactions to this chapter, so please leave me some reviews.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or it's characters. I also don't own the music that will be mentioned in this chapter, they belong to the awesome artists who created it, and no it won't be entirely Naruto music)

It was about 6 pm and Sakura took one last look at herself in her mirror, worrying about how good she looked. She went shopping with Ino and TenTen last night to find a perfect dress to wear and show off, but the one she really wanted to notice her was Lee. Her dress was red and flowed all the way from the bottom where she wore some matching high heels, up to where it made a triangle whose apex was at her neck where a thin collar wrapped around it. This had the effect of showing off her arms and shoulders, but still left plenty to the imagination. The slit in the side also showed the lower half of her legs,_"I kind of like it this way. I look sexy and tasteful at the same time,"_ Sakura thought, _"And besides, I think Lee's a modest guy anyways. I wouldn't want to show off __too__ much. I'll probably scare him off if I do that,"_ she giggled to herself, thinking how Lee would probably blush when he saw her tonight. For an added effect, she wore a pair of cubic zirconium earrings and a silver bracelet on her left wrist. She applied a hint of light purple eyeliner as well and let her hair down. She walked downstairs to where the tables were set up with all the snacks and sodas, taking one last look, _"OK, just need to wait for the hot food to be delivered," _she thought, remembering the special order from the ramen shop she made as well as some barbeque. They were mostly for Naruto and Choji respectively, so they'd leave some of the other snacks available for the others to enjoy. Sakura then walked over to the stereo system and put in the special mix CD she made just for this party. As the stereo was set up, she heard a knock at the door. Sakura walked over and opened it with a smile.

"Hi Sakura-chan, are we the first to show?" Naruto smiled. He was wearing an orange silk shirt that was buttoned-down along with a pair of black dress pants and black dress shoes. Hinata was holding his hand and smiling softly. She wore a light purple dress that had thin straps from each shoulder that led down to just above her chest where the rest of the dress came down, the material fitting her delicate form nicely, having a slit in the side so she could easily move and her lower legs as well as her matching sandals were visible. Her hair was still in its usual style.

"Yeah, come on in," Sakura said, "You guys look great by the way," she commented, "I didn't know you two were dating."

"You look great too, Sakura-chan. And…this is…our first date…" Hinata replied, letting Naruto lead her into Sakura's home, both of them blusing slightly but smiling.

"Alright, let's get this party started," Sakura said, hitting the play button on the remote to her stereo system. The song "Ready Steady Go," by L'arc en ciel began to play.

"Nice choice, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, he then led Hinata outside to where the dancing area was set up and began to move with his date to the fast beat, both of them smiling brightly.

"Wow, I didn't know you guys could dance like that," Sakura said, very impressed with her friends. _"I mean, Naruto-kun's such a goofball and Hinata-chan's so shy…I just couldn't imagine them dancing this good."_

"We couldn't dance, not until yesterday afternoon," Naruto replied, still keeping up with the song.

"Kurenai-sensei taught us and it was so much…fun!" Hinata said as Naruto lifted her up into the air and spun her around before bringing her back down to where her feet could touch the floor again, the move made her giggle brightly. Naruto smiled down at her and then continued the dance.

"Wow you're fast learners," Sakura said then she heard her doorbell, "Be right back."

"Take your time, this is good stuff," Naurto said, spinning a smiling Hinata. By this point the song was about halfway over

Sakura approached and opened the door to find Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru. Shino was wearing a navy blue silk shirt with dark grey dress pants and black shoes. Instead of his normal dark lenses for sunglasses, he wore yellow lenses, but other than that, he showed his entire face, "Hello Sakura-chan. Hope we didn't miss much," Shino said.

"Aww man, that's a great song," Kiba commented. He was wearing a gray silk shirt and black pants with black shoes. Surprisingly his hair was well groomed. Beside him, Akamaru barked happily, he was wearing a bowtie collar.

"You didn't miss much, it's just getting started," Sakura said, "Feel free to grab some snacks."

"Yeah we better or Choji will eat 'em all on us," Kiba smiled. As the first song ended, Hinata and Naruto went back into the house.

"Hey guys, how's it going," Naruto said.

"Ah so _this_ is where you went off to, Hinata-chan," Kiba smirked, "Shino-kun and I've looked all day today _and_ yesterday for you," he grabbed a cookie and offered one to each of his friends there

"I'm sorry guys, we needed dancing lessons for tonight. That's what Naruto-kun and I were doing yesterday and I was spending all morning today looking for the perfect dress for tonight, and was just so excited about my date I didn't want to leave until it was time to go here," Hinata apologized, blushing slightly and nibbling on her cookie.

"Date huh?" Shino said and looked over at Naruto, "So you've finally asked her out huh?"

"Yeah, I did, we took dancing lessons from Kurenai-sensei and worked so well together at it, I thought, 'Why ruin a good thing?'" Naruto quickly finished his snack, "Hinata-chan is a great dance partner. She made it fun every second! I knew we had to be each other's date tonight, and lucky me, Hinata-chan agreed," Naruto replied. Just then "Hoki Houshi" by Younha was playing, "Come on Hinata-chan, let's show them what we can do!"

"Yeah!" Hinata nodded smiling as Naruto led her to the dance floor again.

"Is it just me, or did she seem more confident than usual?" Kiba asked.

"Yes she is and I know why," Shino replied.

"Well are you going to tell me?" Kiba asked.

"If I can figure it out, so can you," he smiled.

"Aww come on man, what's the big secret? This is going to bug me for a while, pun intended!"

"_I think you two will bring out the best in each other," _Shino thought.

XXX

Meanwhile the door had knocked again and Sakura answered to find Ino, wearing a dark purple dress. It had a single thick strap that went over the left sholder, leaving the right one bare. It also showed off some of her cleavage and the slit in the side of the dress went a little higher than those of Hinata or Sakura, showing off more leg, and she was wearing high heels as well. She let down her hair completely and it flowed down to her waist, "Hey Sakura-chan, how's it going tonight?"

"Great, Shino's group and Naruto are here at the snack area," Sakura replied, "Is there anyone in particular you're trying to snag tonight with that dress?" she asked mischiviously.

"Nah, you know I just like looking good and not every guy here is going to be attached so I figured just have some fun and dance with whoever wants to," Ino replied, "You look great too, by the way. Lee-kun's going to be thrilled when he sees you."

"I hope so," Sakura said blushing slightly.

"Come on, he thinks you're beautiful already, you're looking _gorgeous_ tonight and don't you forget it. Oh before I forget, Shikamaru-kun's going to be late. He has to go pick up Temari-san from the Sand Village before coming here. Well let's go say hi to the others," Sakura nodded, then she and Ino walked over and she saw that Naruto and Hinata were dancing together, and looking great doing it. "Wow, who would've guessed?" Ino commented.

"Yeah I know," Kiba replied.

"Well we can't let them have _all_ of the fun, would you guys like to ask us to dance?" Ino offered, "I'm sure Lee-kun would understand if you gave someone else a dance tonight, as long as you give most of them to Lee. Besides, it's _your_ party," she added looking over at Sakura.

"Okay then that sounds good," Sakura agreed. Kiba took Ino's offered arm and Shino took Sakura and they went out to join Naruto and Hinata. As they went out a slower song, "Shinjitsu no Uta," by Do As Infinity played.

"OK Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun, let's see how you handle a slower song," Ino challenged.

"Bring it on," Naruto smiled softly, taking Hinata in his arms and holding her closer as the song enveloped the group. They smiled softly at each other as they swayed, enjoying the slower music just as much as the upbeat songs earlier.

"Told ya they were good," Sakura said over to Ino as she danced with Shino.

"Yeah they are, I'll admit it," Ino replied.

"Come on this isn't a competition," Shino told them, "Let's just enjoy this."

"Yeah it's not everyday we get to enjoy the company of our lady friends," Kiba added. As the song ended, the doorbell rang again.

"I've got it!" Sakura told the others as a new faster song picked up, "Haruka Kanata" by Asian Kung Fu Generation.

"Great, this is one we _all_ can enjoy," Kiba said. Kiba and Shino danced with Ino in between them while Hinata and Naruto continued to enjoy their own dancing.

XXX

Sakura smiled as she opened the door, hoping to see the one person she waited to see all night. It wasn't Lee, however she was still happy to see her friends, TenTen and Neji. TenTen was wearing a white dress with matching sandals. The slit in the side of it showed off about as much leg as Ino's dress. However the top of her dress formed a triangle at the neck like Sakura's, showing off her shoulders. But unlike the other dresses, there was an oval cut just above the middle of her chest, showing off some of her cleavage. Her hair was still in its usual cinnabun style. Neji was wearing a white silk buttoned shirt with black pants and black shoes. He wore a white bandanna to cover the curse mark on his forehead. The biggest change was that his hair was tied in a braid.

"Sorry we're late, Sakura-chan," TenTen said, "But I was having too much fun playing with Neji-kun's hair!" she smiled and patted him lightly in the arm. At the mention of his hair, Neji blushed and looked down at his feet, making him look even cuter to his date.

"Umm..ahh…well, I thought a young woman's advice on how to do my hair with what I was going to wear tonight would've helped and I thought I'd ask you, TenTen. You are my teammate after all," Neji replied, the color of his face slowly returning to normal.

"Yeah and then after I was done with your hair, you decided to do something I never thought you'd do," now it was TenTen's turn to blush, "Ask me out….well Neji-kun, why don't you go say hi to the others for a minute I need to talk to Sakura-chan."

"Sure thing, I'll see you on the dance floor?" Neji asked, earning an enthusiastic nod from TenTen.

"So TenTen, what's with the new look? I've never seen you like this," Sakura asked.

"Oh this?" TenTen blushed a bit, "Well I've been hoping that Neji-kun would ask me out for the longest time and now that he finally has, I thought I'd have a little fun at his expense by making him blush. He is such a gentleman. It's funny how he wants to look at me and not look at me at the same time," she giggled and Sakura joined her. They then went to the snack table and grabbed a brownie each.

"So, where's Lee-kun at? I thought he'd come with you guys," Sakura asked.

"He's not here yet?" TenTen replied in surprise, "When Neji-kun and I went to his place to pick him up, no one answered we figured he came here ahead of us. I'm actually surprised he wasn't the _first_ one to show up…but don't worry, I'm sure he'll show up soon," TenTen smiled reassuringly.

"I hope so…I'm worried about him now," Sakura replied, taking in a bite. Just then there was another knock at the door. Hopeful that it was the one guy she was waiting for, she opened the door to find a dark green button down shirt with black pants and shoes…but it wasn't who she thought it was, and Sakura looked down after her hopes just went up.

"Hey Sakura-chan, I hope I'm not too late for the party," Choji said, then he noticed the look in Sakura's eyes, "What's wrong? It's my hair isn't it? Look I tried to get as dressed up as possible, but my hair just wouldn't cooperate no matter how much moose or hair spray I used. It's a good thing Asuma-sensei isn't here, cause if he lighted up, my head would explode!" he said running his hands through his hair, which was a very spiky mess.

"No it's not you, Choji-kun, I'm sorry," Sakura replied, then put on her best smile, "I hope you have fun tonight."

"I'm sure I will…hey barbeque chips my favorite! How'd you ever know!" Choji immediately made a beeline to the snack table and grabbed the chip bowl. He sat down and just started munching away, "I _always _get the last bite in!"

TenTen placed a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder, then the others walked back in after finishing their recent dance, "Choji's here guys, if you want to say hi," Sakura said.

"Cool," Naruto replied, "Now the only people missing are Bushy Brow and Shikamaru."

"Don't worry, they'll be here," TenTen said, then noticed that he and Hinata were holding hands. She smiled, _"That's good. I was worried for a bit that Lee would have competition, but I guess I was being stupid. Besides, those two really look great together. I'm happy for them." _"So Naruto-kun, are you and Hinata-chan officially an item?" she asked.

"Wha…what do you mean…an item…we're on a date and we're dance partners and I really like being around her…" Naruto rambled, blushing.

"R…really Naruto-kun?" Hinata blushed back, "I like being around you too."

"You haven't seen them dance yet!" Kiba said, "They are just awesome at it!" Then he heard a bark from Akamaru, "Oh yeah, sorry buddy, how could I be such a jerk."

"What's he saying?" Shino asked.

"Well all of us here have had at least one dance right? Or are about to," Kiba replied, noting Neji's presence, "Well we've been kinda neglecting Akamaru here and he got all dressed up too."

"Oh Akamaru-kun, I'll dance with you," Hinata said sweetly. She picked up the little dog and took him outside as a new slow song began, "Dearest" by Hamasaki Ayumi. Hinata hugged Akamaru close to her as she swayed to the song and he wagged his tail.

"Wow, Hinata-chan's so cute," Naruto said softly and blushed.

"Yeah she is, isn't she?" Kiba replied, "Well let's not let her have all the fun. I'll dance with you again, Ino, if you'd like?"

"Sure, if Shino cuts in half way through the song," Ino replied, winking as she led Kiba to the dance floor, Shino went to the sidelines to wait his turn.

"May I have this dance, TenTen?" Neji asked formally, offering his arm out.

"Why yes I'd be honored, Neji-kun," TenTen smiled back, "Now don't be afraid to hold me close," she added, causing Neji to blush slightly.

"Umm…Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked over at the host of the party.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Sakura replied.

"Well since Hinata-chan's dancing with Akamaru, I was wondering if I could dance with you. You know, as friends?" Naruto felt a little unsure about himself and was half expecting her to blow up on him as usual.

"That would be nice, thanks Naruto-kun," Sakura smiled offering her hand to him. As everyone was enjoying the song, no one noticed the knock at the door.

"Hello? Sakura-chan? Anyone?" Lee called out. He heard the music coming from the back and decided to go through that way. He jumped over the fence and landed softly on the ground. He stood up and smiled, noticing that the move didn't ruin his outfit for the evening, a green button down silk shirt with a red tie and black pants with matching shoes. He walked closer to the party, feeling behind him to his back pocket, looking for the present he picked out just for his Sakura-chan. Reassured it was still there, with a smile on his face, he approached the others, but then stopped in his tracks when he saw that Naruto was dancing with Sakura. _"Oh no…Sakura-chan…why? I thought we finally understood each other's feelings. Didn't we decide this was a date? Isn't a date like a promise? Didn't I show you how much you mean to me?"_ his eyes began to fill with tears, _"I guess…it wasn't meant to be. I'm sure Naruto-kun will make you happier than I ever could…" _Lee thought to himself as he headed to the back door, hopeful that no one would notice him and the tears streaming down his face as he looked at the ground beneath him.

(A/N: I'm sorry for making my cliffhanger depressing when all of the other ones were filled with hope. But don't worry; next chapter will be the conclusion to this story. All feelings will be bared and all couples will have their special moments, including one my best readers have been requesting for some time, you know who you are and you know what's coming. A happy ending for everyone! Until then, your reviews are most welcome and appreciated.)


	10. Chapter 10

A Party for a Lonely Heart

Chapter 10

(A/N: Well my friends, this is it, the final chapter in this story. Fair warning, this is also going to be the _longest _chapter. I was happily surprised that my last chapter got so many new readers in addition to my usual ones. I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who's read this story and encouraged me and also offered little tips or hints at what they'd like to see. I dedicate this one to all the lovers out there reading this, especially my special someone, you know who you are.)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters, but I love writing about them as you can tell.)

As the song was about halfway over, Shino went to cut in on Kiba and Ino's dance, but he caught a glance of Lee walking inside. TenTen noticed as well while she was dancing with Neji. She looked around and saw that Sakura had not yet noticed his arrival as she was facing away from her back door as she danced with Naruto. Giving Shino a don't-worry-I'll-take-care-of-it look, she smiled at her own date, "Hey Neji-kun, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure TenTen, what is it?" he asked.

"Lee-kun just walked in and I need to talk to him for a minute. Do you mind if I skip out on the next song with you."

Glancing over TenTen's shoulder he saw Lee and the look of depression on his face. "Ok, no problem," Neji replied.

"Thanks a lot. You can dance with Sakura-chan while I'm away if you'd like," TenTen smiled, then kissed Neji on the cheek quickly before rushing into the house, leaving Neji with a blush on his face and his hand touching the spot where TenTen left her kiss.

Lee walked by Choji, who just finished the chips, "Hey Choji-kun, mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Sure buddy," Choji offered a seat next to him, then passed the plate of brownies over to him. Lee took one and Choji put the plate back after grabbing one himself. "So what seems to be the problem?" he asked while munching on his snack.

"It's Sakura-chan. We made a date to dance together tonight and I arrived to find her in Naruto-kun's arms. I don't understand. The other day _she_ asked _me_ out after I told her how much she really means to me, and here she is, dancing with someone else. I don't want to be the jealous type, I just wish I hadn't gotten my hopes up."

"Well, if you _must_ know…" Choji began.

"Lee-kun you baka!" TenTen interrupted after closing the door behind her. She walked over to the snack area quickly, trying not to get anyone else's attention.

XXX

As the song ended and another one started, "Life is like a boat," by Rie Fu. The various couples on the dance floor began to switch around. Naruto went back to dance with Hinata as she handed Akamaru back to Kiba. "May I have this dance, Hinata-chan?" Nartuto asked formally, offering his arm.

"Why of course you can, Naruto-kun," Hinata smiled and giggled a bit before taking his arm and letting him lead her as the music played.

Sakura turned around and noticed that Lee was inside, sitting with Choji and looking a little sad. She was about to rush in when a gentle yet firm hand landed on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Sakura-chan," Neji said, "Let TenTen straighten him out, he'll be back to his usual self in no time. I'm sure that whatever is on his mind, she can help him."

"B…but _I_ want to help him," Sakura replied, "I don't know why but I feel like I'm responsible for this."

"It's all a misunderstanding, trust me. And showing up now could make things harder. TenTen is his best friend and she told me personally that she's rooting for the two of you. Once she's through with him, you won't be able to keep him from being with you tonight, trust me."

"If you say so, Neji-kun…" Sakura said, still a little unsure.

"Don't worry, he'll be back out here in time for the next song. In the meantime, I'd like a dance, if that's ok."

"Umm…ok," Sakura replied, taking Neji's arm.

"Oh and Sakura-chan," Neji said as they began to dance.

"Yes Neji-kun?"

"I can tell you really care about Lee-kun a lot," he smiled, "he's one lucky guy."

"Not as lucky as you are, is that lipstick I see on your cheek?" Sakura smirked.

"Umm…yeah…canwejustdanceplease?" Neji said quickly. Laughing a bit, Sakura nodded, her mood lifted just a tiny bit, and they began to enjoy the song.

XXX

"TenTen, what's wrong?" Lee asked, a little afraid of his friend's temper as he saw the look in her eye. TenTen didn't say a word but sat right next to Lee, then slapped him on the cheek, "OW, what was that for?"

"That, Lee-kun, was for keeping Sakura-chan waiting so long!" She shouted, then slapped him again, this time upside the head.

"OW!"

"And _that_ is for being a baka! Why are you in here, depressed, when your date has been waiting for you for over an hour!?"

"It looks to me that Naruto-kun is her date tonight. I guess that's what I get for being late…" Lee said looking down, but another slap from TenTen made him look up again.

"Did you honestly think it would be right for Sakura-chan not to dance at _her own party_ because her date is late? That's unusually selfish of you, Lee-kun and I have to say I'm very disappointed in you. How do you think she would've felt seeing everyone else having fun and her not being able to join in because a certain Bushy Brows can't check the time?"

"But I have a good reason for being late…"

"I don't care! It's not good enough reason to be acting like this. Did you forget the reason Sakura-chan hosted this party in the first place? She wanted to rebuild the friendships she formed with _all_ of us that she believes she almost ruined with her isolation," TenTen pointed out. Lee looked at her and nodded.

"Look, Lee-kun, there is nothing wrong with dancing with someone who is just a friend, understand. That's the reason why Naruto-kun was dancing with Sakura-chan. If you don't believe me, come and see for yourself," TenTen said. She led Lee to the glass door and they saw that Naruto was dancing with Hinata and Sakura with Neji. Shino had just spun Ino and Kiba caught her as the song reached its half-way point. Meanwhile, Naruto had dipped Hinata and from the angle they were observing, both Lee and TenTen could see the smiles and slight blushes on their faces.

"See? Naruto-kun's date is _Hinata_-chan, not Sakura-chan. And look over there. Sakura-chan is dancing with Neji-kun, who happens to be _my_ date for the evening, but you don't see me getting all depressed over it. You know why? Because I _know_ that I'm closer to Neji-kun than Sakura-chan is, because we're becoming more than friends. So I won't make a big deal if he decides to share one dance with someone who's _just_ a friend," TenTen said.

"I…guess that's reasonable…" Lee replied, "You have a point, TenTen."

"Yes I do, Lee-kun. And just to prove it once and for all, you're going to dance with _me_ until the song is over."

"TenTen?"

"Come on, I already have a date, but he's busy right now as you can see. And you're like a brother to me, so Sakura-chan has nothing to worry about." She grabbed Lee's hand and led him back outside.

"Hey everyone, guess who finally decided to join us?" TenTen smiled as she led Lee on the dance floor, making sure they were right next to Sakura and Neji. A chorus of hellos came from the others.

"Lee-kun!" Sakura waved to him, smiling and blushing slightly, "I'm glad you could finally make it, I was really worried about you when you didn't show…"

"I'm truly sorry Sakura-chan, but I have a reason why I was so late. I'd like to explain it a little later though," Lee replied.

"Well you can explain when the next song starts. I'm sure Neji-kun's _very _eager to have TenTen back in his arms," she winked at TenTen, then Neji, causing both of them to look at each other smiling softly. After about another 2 minutes, the song had ended.

"There Lee, now did you enjoy that?" TenTen asked.

"Yes I did, I see your point. It was fun, but not as fun as it would've been with Sakura-chan. I'm sure that you feel the same way towards Neji-kun."

"So let's switch dance partners and be with the ones we're _really_ here to date," TenTen smiled and placed a hand on Lee's shoulder before walking back towards Neji.

The back door just opened again and another newcomer interrupted, "Sorry I'm late everyone, arranging a date with someone from another country is so troublesome…" Shikamaru said as he and Temari entered. Everyone decided to take a break from dancing and see what was up with their friends.

"No one heard the door, so I thought I'd answer it for you," Choji said showing up on the dance area for the first time, "by the way, Shikamaru-kun, your date looks _great _you lucky dog!" Temari blushed at the comment. She wore her hair in its normal style, however she wore a black dress that ended just above the knee. She wore matching high heels as well. Her dress was held up by twin spaghetti straps, but it was a lower cut than the rest of the ladies present.

"Well mine does too," Temari replied. Shikamaru wore a light grey button-down silk shirt and darker grey dress pants with black shoes. He blushed at Temari's compliment.

"So what kept you guys? You had all day to bring Temari-san back from the Sand Village," Sakura asked.

"Yeah we were wondering if you'd _ever_ show up," Ino picked.

"Well, I had to inform Hokage-sama that I'd be leaving the country for the day to go pick up Temari-san…"

"It's Temari-chan now, Shikamaru-kun," Temari interrupted, smiling at her date, "We're off duty and on a date, we can be less formal now."

"_Anyways_," Shikamaru continued, "After explaining to Hokage-sama that I wanted to ask Temari-_chan_ on a date and that we'd have to come here for it, she was all for the idea and made me wait to get me a new passport and other travel papers. _Then _she wanted me to make sure that I had proper clothes for a date with someone of Temari-chan's…high class. I swear that woman is such a drag. After _finally_ convincing her that I was taking Temari-chan to a dance that was only a _semi-_formal party with friends, she _finally _let me wear what I wanted. Then it took several hours to reach the Sand Village. Once I was there, I wanted to ask Temari-chan out, but she insisted that I get the permission of her brothers first, even though she is the eldest sibling. So you can _imagine _what I had to go through with those two. And after that, Temari-chan spent _hours_ preparing, finding the right dress, getting her hair done right, which doesn't look different from normal by the way, and the _tiny_ amount of makeup. I think she did all of that in 10 minutes and had fun making me wait, didn't you Temari-chan?"

"Now why would I ever do that to you, Shikamaru-kun? Besides isn't a date with me worth the wait?" she bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Y…yeah, it is,"

"Good, glad you agree, and also I insisted that we _walk_ back here. I didn't want to do our ninja leaps all the way here and risk ruining my dress. So for that, I apologize for making Shikamaru-kun late. So what's the next song?" Just then, "GO!" by Flow started to play. Before anyone could reach the dance floor however, Choji's eyes lit up like fire.

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" Choji shouted and ran to the center of the dance floor. As the upbeat and fast pace song started to pick up, Choji was performing incredible Taijutsu-style dance moves. He did moonwalks, break dancing, standing on his head then spinning, punching imaginary enemies in style, doing midair summersaults. Rather than join in the dancing, everyone else just formed a circle around him and just watched, completely amazed that someone that…big could be that…agile and impressive on the dance floor.

Shikamaru smirked, "That's my buddy out there, don't ever underestimate him!" he told the others while placing his arm around Temari.

"No…I don't think I'll ever underestimate him again," Ino said, more entranced than the others by Choji's display. When the song ended, everyone burst out into applause and cheers.

"Thank you!" Choji said, bowing, "I'm here all night!" As he walked back towards the inside of the house to go to the snack area, Ino grabbed his arm, "Ino-chan?" he looked at his teammate.

"Choji-kun. You don't have to isolate yourself, understand. This is a _party_. Have some fun with the rest of us!"

"Well I didn't want to ruin everyone else's fun by…pigging out in front of everyone who wants to dance," Choji replied looking down.

"Then don't pig out for the rest of the night…Just dance. If you're really that good solo, you deserve a chance to show how good you can be with a dance partner," she winked.

"And just who am I supposed to dance with. You've said it yourself; no girl would go for a guy...like me…"

"You know what, Choji-kun?" Ino said, looking down at her feet, "I'm sorry I said that. It must've hurt you a lot. You're my friend and I shouldn't've done that to you."

"Eh no biggie," Choji said waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Yes it is a biggie, and I want to make it up to you. Choji-kun, would you like to be my date for the rest of the night?" Ino asked.

"Really? Ok I think I could do that since you asked so nicely," Choji smiled and took Ino's arm and led her to the dance floor. "Hajimete Kimi to Shabetta," by GagagaSP was playing next, it was a medium paced song that got all of the couples to show off their skills.

"Well Shino-kun, I think we won't have a dance with the ladies for a while, let's hit the snacks and see what Choji left us," Kiba said. Shino nodded and joined his friend inside and then they came back out with snacks, watching their friends having the time of their lives.

Meanwhile, as everyone else was dancing, they also paid attention to the lyrics. They all smiled at the appropriateness of it as it was everyone's first dates together. They all laughed and smiled as the guys used their various dancing skills to impress the girls. When the song was over, everyone applauded. Then a new slow song played, "Every Heart," by Watanabe Natsume. The couples on the dance floor slowed down and began to dance closer together.

Naruto smiled as he held Hinata close to him, then grinned boyishly at the thought of how much fun they had the past two days, _"We tried to learn to dance on our own…and failed horribly at it! Then we asked Kurenai-sensei to teach us and after she was done teaching us, we realized how much fun it was. I didn't want it to end so I kinda asked her out and she agreed! And now that we're here together, it's even more fun. Every dance we've had together, we both ended up smiling or laughing…and blushing," _he blushed at..well the recollection of blushing, _"She is so cute and we've really been having fun together…"_

"Naruto-kun? Is everything ok?" Hinata asked, looking up into the eyes of the one she admired most when she saw him space out, even though they were still keeping up with the song.

"Yes Hinata-chan, everything's wonderful," Naruto replied smiling at his date, "You know what, I've been a bad date."

"N…no Naruto-kun, that's ridiculous, we've had a lot of fun haven't we? You've been the perfect gentleman tonight too, so don't think you're a bad date."

"But there's one important thing I forgot and I'm really sorry," Naruto said, "I haven't told you how beautiful you are tonight, even though I know you chose to dress up like this just for me…I guess I'm not used to this dating thing yet. Forgive me?" Naruto replied.

"Of…of course Naruto-kun. I forgot to tell you how handsome you are tonight too, so I guess that makes us even," Hinata smiled at him.

"Hey Hinata-chan?"

"Yes Naruto-kun?"

"You look very beautiful tonight," Naruto smiled, then he blushed as Hinata smiled her soft and gentle smile, "I'm really enjoying our date tonight too."

"So am I, and you're very handsome too."

"Thank you Hinata-chan…umm…since we're having so much fun tonight, I was wondering…if I could ask you out again sometime?"

Hinata's eyes widened at Naruto's request, then she hugged him tightly, "I'd like that a lot, Naruto-kun," she said quickly

"Then…can we be…boyfriend and girlfriend?" Naruto asked.

"You…really want me to be your girlfriend?" Hinata couldn't believe the words coming out of Naruto's mouth. She thought she was dreaming for a second, but then Naruto closed his eyes and bent down to give Hinata a soft kiss. A wave of electricity passed through them both as Naruto's lips made contact with hers. _"This isn't a dream! This is much better!" _Hinata thought, then she closed her own eyes and just enjoyed the closeness they were having. When they broke apart Naruto grinned in his usual boyish fashion that she loved so much.

"Did that answer your question, Hinata-chan?" he asked. Hinata's reply was another bright smile and a hug.

XXX

At the same time, Lee and Sakura were enjoying their first slow dance of the night. As they swayed to the music, Sakura allowed herself to move in closer to Lee and rest her head against his chest for a moment.

"Something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked, blushing a bit at the close contact.

"I'm just glad you're finally here, Lee-kun. I've waited all night for this."

"Then I'll try not to disappoint you, Sakura-chan." Lee replied, continuing to lead her in the dance as they talked, "But I must apologize."

"What for being late? You said you had an explanation and I believe you."

"It's not that. It's that…when I first showed up, I saw you dancing with Naruto-kun and I felt that you didn't want me to be your date anymore. I should've known better. The Sakura-chan I know and love would never break a date…without good reason."

"Well, you _were_ late, and there were so many of the others asking for a dance here and there," Sakura teased, "Who was I to deny them? But you know what. They're all my good friends, but you, Lee-kun, I think you're an even better one. All is forgiven and I still want to be your date tonight."

"Thank you Sakura-chan," Lee smiled, "That means a lot to me. Now as to the reason I was late…it took forever to pick out a present for you."

"Present? I told everyone I didn't want a present, I just wanted everyone to show. That goes for you too, Lee."

"Well a true gentleman gives his date a gift for the honor of escorting her," Lee replied, "It was hard to find something worthy of you, and once I found a few items, it took forever to find the one most appropriate," he reached into his back pocket and produced a rectangular box, about a foot wide by an inch thick and long. It was wrapped in pink wrapping paper with a green bow.

"What is it Lee-kun?" Sakura asked. She stopped dancing and stood there smiling at the gift.

"Open it up and see," Lee smiled back. Sakura felt butterflies of anticipation in her stomach as she tore the wrapping off. The wrapping covered a black jewelry box. Looking inquisitively at Lee, she opened it up and found a silver necklace with a heart shaped silver charm at the end of it. At the center of the charm was a round pink gem.

"A month ago when Sasuke left…your heart broke," Lee began looking sad at the thought, "So I thought I'd try to give you a new one," he smiled, but looked a little nervous, "…that is, if you'll accept this gift, please consider it my own heart, which I freely give to you, Sakura-chan. I now renew my promise to protect you with my life. In addition, I promise to always be there for you whenever you need me whether it be for something big or small. Whether you're fighting enemies, or in need a shoulder to cry on, or need someone to laugh and smile and enjoy life with, or even small favors, I'll be there for you for all of that and more…I love you Sakura-chan!"

Sakura closed her eyes and began to tear up at Lee's new declaration of love, _"He's __definitely__ not being the goofy Bushy Brows this time. And his declaration of love is much more serious than the one when we first met. He sounds so genuine,"_ she thought to herself. She looked at Lee's eyes, filled with affection and anticipation of her response and Sakura was once again filled with butterflies at the thought that there was someone that cared about her _that_ much. Thinking back on everything they've been through together only reinforced Sakura's thoughts on Lee, _"At first he seemed so…weird, but now I see that he is the most caring, sincere, and loyal person I've ever known…plus he's so cute!" _"Thank you Lee-kun, it's beautiful," Sakura replied, her eyes open but with tears of joy.

"Anything for you, Sakura-chan," Lee replied, smiling more now than ever in his life. He took the precious necklace and undid the clasp that held it together. Then he took it and placed it around Sakura's neck. As he closed the clasp again, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"And I love you too, Lee-kun," Sakura said as he pulled away to see how the necklace looked on her.

"Really, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked, he closed his eyes because of the tears that were coming to his own eyes.

"Yes, Lee-kun, really. I truly love you," Sakura replied, realizing this to be the truth herself as she said it. She moved in close and gave Lee a soft kiss from her lips to his. As they broke away the music ended and they saw their friends surrounding them.

"Great job Bushy Brows!" Naruto said pumping his free fist into the air, his other arm was wrapped around Hinata.

"I'm very happy for you both," Hinata added.

"Glad you didn't mess that up," Neji smirked at his teammate.

"I knew you had it in you, Lee-kun," TenTen smiled.

"Now if a certain lazy butt of a shinobi could do something romantic like that, a certain kunoichi from the Sand Village wouldn't object," Temari winked.

"Oh come on, Temari-chan, If I wanted to be _that_ elaborate, I'd have to get past your brothers and you do you have any idea how troublesome that would be?" Shikamaru replied.

"Well if you do something like that, it may be worth it in the long run," Temari replied.

"Hey if you two end up married, I get to be a bridesmaid!" Ino teased causing Lee and Sakura to blush heavily.

"Hey do you have any idea how much guts it took for Lee-kun to do that, give him a break," Choji poked at Ino.

"Well all of you guys getting together is fun to watch, but where does that leave Shino and I?" Kiba asked, "We need to find ourselves some nice girls like them don't we, buddy."

"That will be a problem, the population of Konoha has a 2:1 ratio of guys to girls. I think we'll have to look elsewhere, because there _aren't_ any good girls left," Shino replied. Just then there was a knock at the door. Choji sniffed the air a bit.

"Great more food's here!" He announced. They all ran towards the door and Sakura opened it to find Teuchi and Ayame from Ichiraku Ramen there.

"Delivery for a Haruno Sakura!" they announced. They were followed by a delivery boy from Korean Barbeque.

"Great the rest of the food is here!" Sakura said, "Let's take this party inside and eat dinner together." As they all sat down to eat there was one last knock at the door.

"It's for me," Shino said and he opened the door, paid whoever was there, thanked him and let him leave. He returned to the room with a bundle of white roses, "This is for you Sakura-chan, 13 white roses, a dozen of them to represent each of us here and the last one in the center of the bouquet meant to represent the bonds that we all share. I hope you like it."

"Wow, Shino-kun, that's very thoughtful of you. This means a lot to me. All of you do," Sakura replied looking around the table at her friends, then her eyes fell on Lee, "Especially you, Lee-kun," she smiled. After they all ate and laughed and told stories about each other, the party had to break up for the evening. Naruto and Hinata smiled, arm and arm as they said good night to Sakura, and they left first already planning their next date. Temari and Shikamaru were the next to leave, looking happy with each other, but Shikamaru complained as to how long it would take to walk his date home. Kiba and Shino left next, each giving Sakura a small hug and a thank-you-for-an-awesome-party. Finally Choji was next and still surprised to have Ino on his arm, but definitely not complaining. Lee and Sakura overheard something about Ino actually treating Choji on their _next _date.

"Well, Sakura-chan, its time for me to go too. Thank you for the best evening in my life," Lee said, taking Sakura's hand and giving it a kiss.

"No Lee, thank you for giving me hope again. That and your love are the best gifts I ever received," Sakura replied smiling at him. Lee let go of her hand and gave her his trademark Nice Guy Pose before walking off into the night. Watching him leave, Sakura noted that the party was a huge success because not only had she found someone to love, but several of the others did as well and the bonds of friendship that held their entire group together were even stronger when everyone left than when they came.

THE END

(A/N: Well that's it everyone. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to leave me your reviews and as always, I really appreciated everyone's support in this writing venture. Until my next story, see ya!)


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